On Tour with The Sheikh’s Tempting Assitant by Leslie North, Meet the Author, and Giveaway

OK, I have a new thing today, and I have to backtrack a bit to let you into it. Fact #1: I am an 80 girl, literally born in 1980. Before Bon Jovi knocked on my door, I was really into Bryan Adams. Even if we kind of lost each other along the years, I still like listening to his new songs and know what he’s about, which is how I stumbled upon a song of his, Inside Out. Fact #2: I had this author and her books many times over on this blog, so I knew already quite a lot about her (type Leslie North in the blog’s stearch, you’ll see all of them). Can you see how these two come together? Inside Out has a lot of interesting questions, so I asked Leasie to answer some of them. Feel free to sing the questions in your head.

So, the book is The Sheikh’s Tempting Assitant by Leslie North , out in a couple of days in the Adult, Contemporary, Romance Genre.

Synopsis:

Laura Bliss is an assistant location scout with no sense of direction—which is how she got stuck with a faulty GPS and the job of scouting sand dunes rather than the oasis her boss is currently viewing. With the sun going down and Laura seriously worrying for her life, she stumbles across a tent that looks more like a palace than a campsite. Dehydrated and burnt, it seems like salvation—until men wearing desert garb and toting AK47’s ride out in jeeps to gather her.

Sheikh Raheem can barely believe his luck when an American woman is brought into his tent. He is passionate about his country’s natural splendor, but its PR is in desperate need of a makeover—perhaps as much as the dirty beauty in front of him. He makes an offer: Laura, with her eye for finding the beauty in a location, will help him craft a campaign promoting his country, and when she completes the project he’ll send her back to America with a paycheck she can live on for years. Seeing a chance for financial freedom, Laura jumps at the opportunity.

As Raheem shows off the magnificence of his land, Laura finds herself getting swept into a fairy tale full of palaces, five-star luxury, and the most sensuous sex she’s ever experienced. Though she values her independence, the temptation to stay—not just for Raheem, but for the beautiful country that isn’t getting the attention it deserves—holds her in place. But when the country’s natural treasures are threatened, Raheem and Laura must decide what means more to them: their love for one another or their original plans.

Hi Leslie, and thank you for playing along! Let’s hit play on the tape (no CDs back then, let alone mp3).

The biggest lie you ever told

Gosh, it’s quite embarrassing. But it was in high school and it involved two socks and an empty bra.

Your deepest fear ’bout growin’ old

My deepest fear is losing my eyesight. Reading and writing is my life! Luckily we have fantastic audiobooks out now!

The boy you swore you’d never leave

My school boyfriend, first love and worst kisser! I swore never I would never… well until the summer holidays ended!

The sweetest dream you had last night,

The sweetest dream I had last night involved a seriously sexy firefighter and a fire truck, lol! Let’s just say everyone ended up wet. Firefighters are on my mind, I’m currently writing a series about them.

Your darkest hour

We all have a dark hour, where we doubt ourselves. It’s so important to surround yourself with uplifting and inspirational people. My readers help bring me through dark times.

Your hardest fight

My hardest fight was to write and publish my first romance novel. There was a lot of doubt, anxiety and a lot of learning.

The saddest song you ever heard

Adele – Someone Like You

It’s a beautiful timeless song, but you can’t help feel the loss and sadness.

The most you said with just one word

Home. When I met my partner, I told him he is my home. It means so much.

Leslie North is the pen name for a critically-acclaimed author of women’s contemporary romance and fiction. The anonymity gives her the perfect opportunity to paint with her full artistic palette, especially in the romance and erotic fantasy genres.

The truth of the matter is she loves her fictional persona, Leslie North, more than her normal, day-to-day persona! Her bestselling books focus on strong characters and particularly women who aren’t afraid to challenge an alpha male. Inspired after years of travel, her stories are set all over the world, from the tough streets of Russia to the beautiful beaches of the middle east.

Leslie fell in love with romance when she first picked up a scrappy, dog-eared romance book from her local library. She began writing soon after and the rest, as they say, was history. She now lives in a cozy cottage on the British coast and enjoys taking long walks with her two Dalmatians, George and Fergie.